One-north
One-north is a 200-hectare business park in Singapore, developed by JTC Corporation to house R&D and high technology activities in the biomedical sciences, infocomm technology (ICT) and media industries. Though the development was first conceptualised in the National Technology Plan 1991, it was only launched officially in 2001 by former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan Keng Yam with the basis of creating a "global talent hub" and a knowledge-based economy. One-north, which was master planned by Zaha Hadid Architects, is located at Buona Vista and near educational and research institutes like National University of Singapore (NUS), INSEAD and the Singapore Science Parks. In 2012, business school ESSEC also set up its Asian campus in one-north, for a total investment of S$40 million. The district has easy access to social and recreational facilities due to the close proximity to Holland Village. Besides being a “science hub” as Dr Tan described one-north at the launch, another aim is to create a community where expatriates and locals can gather to live, work and relax together in one-north. As such, one-north will not be a government project only, but also one where private sectors contribute to provide the social and recreational amenities for the people working and living there. Biopolis Biopolis is a biomedical R&D hub at one-north. It houses public research institutes and private research organizations. Biopolis Phase 1 is developed by JTC Corporation (JTC) at a cost of S$500 million. Phase 1 of the Biopolis comprises a cluster of seven buildings with a built-up area of 185,000 sqm (2 million sq ft). Phase 1 is home to more than 2,000 scientists, researchers, technicians and administrators. The research community is supported by infrastructure and services catering to biomedical R&D activities. Phase 2 of the Biopolis comprised two research buildings, with a built-up area of 37,000 sqm (400,000 sq ft). Phase 3 of Biopolis broke ground in April 2008. The research facility extends basic research activities into translational and clinical research as well as medical technology research. The Star Performing Arts Centre The Star Performing Arts Centre (Chinese: ) is located in a mixed use complex called The Star which comprises the performing arts centre, a shopping mall, The Star Vista (Chinese: 星悦汇) and is the main worship venue for New Creation Church. The Star PAC was completed in Oct 2012 and designed by Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Architects. The 38,000-sq m performing arts centre, from Level 3 to Level 11, occupies almost two thirds of the building with a 5,142-seat performance venue. Aside from the main indoor concert hall, it also features a 770-seat function hall, an outdoor 300-seat amphitheatre, multipurpose rooms and a roof-top reception area. The concert hall was officially opened on 1 November 2012, with an inaugural concert by David Foster. Fusionopolis Occupying 30 hectares of land within one-north, Fusionopolis is envisioned to be an R&D hub for infocomm technology, media, physical sciences and engineering industries. Fusionopolis is the second facility of one-north to be developed. It was initially named Technopolis, but was renamed to Fusionopolis in 2003. The new name reflects the site's aim of encouraging the fusion of ideas from the arts, business and technology sectors. Fusionopolis Phase 1, developed by JTC Corporation, is the first work-live-play-learn development in one-north. Opened in October 2008, it houses public agencies such as A*STAR, MDA and SPRING as well as private companies to foster collaborations across industries, research institutes and businesses. Under phase one of development, a two-tower podium complex, comprising buildings Connexis and Symbiosis, was completed. With a combined gross floor area of 120,000 sq m, the two buildings house institutes in the physical sciences, engineering and digital technology sectors as well as shops and apartments. Phase one was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 17 October 2008. The Fusionopolis Phase 1 development consists of three towers (Connexis South, Connexis North and Symbiosis), with a gross floor area totalling 120,000 m². Fusionopolis Phase 1 was designed by the late renowned Japanese architect Dr Kisho Kurokawa. The following are the tenants of Fusionopolis Phase 1. *Edgilis, a technology and innovation consulting company *Linden Research Singapore The Singapore office of Linden Lab, the makers of the 3D virtual online world called Second Life. *Platform Computing Singapore Pte. Ltd. and its Open Source Grid Development Center, who moved in on 7 May 2008. *Thales Technology Centre Singapore moved in on 20 May 2008. *Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and three of seven Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) research institutes: **Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R) **Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) **Network Storage Division of the Data Storage Institute (DSI) *Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore *Asian Food Channel, a 24 hour regional pay TV channel broadcasting food and lifestyle content Fusionopolis Phase 1 is the first integrated work-live-play-learn development in one-north. In addition to work spaces, JTC has incorporated serviced apartments, F&B retail outlets, a fitness club, a technology showcase, an experimental theatre called Genexis and media studios into the development. Fusionopolis Phase 2A will yield 103,600 sqm of business park and R&D space, when completed. Phase 2A houses dry and wet laboratories, clean rooms and vibration sensitive test-bedding facilities. Phase 2A of Fusionopolis consists of a mix of business and commercial office spaces. Its three buildings - Innovis, Kinesis and Synthesis - are expected to be completed by 2015. Fusionopolis Phase 2B is a 50,000 sqm development by a private developer which will provide business park and laboratory space to house agencies and companies that would form collaborations with those from Phases 1 and 2A. Phase 2B of Fusionopolis saw the completion of Solaris, a 16-storey multi-tenanted building for research and development in the Infocommunications, media, science and engineering industries. Its groundbreaking ceremony was held on 27 June 2008, with completion held in October 2010. A massive test-bed for new technologies, Phase 2A is designed to house dry and wet laboratories, clean rooms and vibration sensitive test-bedding facilities. Phase 2A features Singapore's largest R&D clean room facility and provides 103,635 sqm of Business Park and R&D space when it is completed in 2014. The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will be the anchor tenant at Phase 2A. Four research institutes, namely the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), the Data Storage Institute (DSI) and the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), will also co-locate at Phase 2A. Nexus@one-north, the third phase, was completed in September 2013. It is made up of two towers of six-storey office and business park space, linked by a central plaza and skybridge. Nexus@one-north aims to cater to businesses in the media industry as well as research and development activities in the physical science and engineering sectors. Phase 4 of the Fusionopolis, the Sandcrawler, was officially opened on 16 January 2014. It houses the regional headquarters of the Lucasfilm, and also serves as the headquarters as the regional headquarters of the Walt Disney Company and ESPN Asia Pacific. The 22,500-square-metre seven-storey building also contains a 100-seat theatre. Phase 5 of the Fusionopolis, Galaxis, was completed in late 2014. Consisting of the 17-storey building with a separate five-storey office block, it is a business space that integrates living and retail activities. Infinite Studios Infinite Studios, Asia’s newest production hub, opened on 14 January 2014 in Singapore. Angeline Wong had went to work for some time between January 2014 and December 2014. The facility is located within the Mediapolis @ one-north complex, which also includes post-production and transmission services. With a two stages of 928 m2 (approx. 9,300 sq ft) and 1,681 m2 (approx. 17,000 sq ft) , Infinite Studios is intended to house large-scale television productions. The complex is backed by the Infinite Frameworks facilities group, which owns studios in nearby Batam, Indonesia. Leasing of space is handled by Ascendas and Citramas Nusaterra. The 17 initial tenants include Infinite Frameworks, media service provider Globecast Asia; Discovery Networks; Japanese game maker Namco Bandai; publisher, Haymarket Media; and international advertising agency M&C Saatchi. Taken together with the Pinewood Malaysia Studios in Iskandar, Southern Malaysia, the three studio sites could make South East Asia, centered on Singapore a more attractive magnet for footloose productions (aka ‘runaway pictures’). Infinite Studios has already housed Australia Kids TV show “Hi-5,” television commercials and reality shows. For 2014, two unnamed international feature films are expected. “Infinite Studios is the first media ecosystem of its kind in Singapore which offers a unique platform for media companies to complement each other to serve the global media industry,” said Mike Wiluan, CEO of Infinite Frameworks. Mediapolis @ one-north is a strategic joint stewardship between four Singapore government agencies: Media Development Authority (MDA), JTC Corporation (JTC), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). It will be fully completed by 2020 and cover 19-hectares. Mediapolis The idea of a “mediapolis” at one-north was raised by the Economic Review Committee’s panel on creative industries in September 2002. On 10 December 2008, then Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang announced that Mediapolis@one-north would begin development in early 2009. Mediapolis@one-north was envisioned as Singapore’s first digital media hub, with the infrastructure and technology to support media production, financing and distribution. Developed under the joint stewardship of JTC Corporation, Media Development Authority, Infocomm Development Authority and the Economic Development Board, it is targeted to be fully completed in 2020. Singapore's main media company MediaCorp is slated to be one of the anchor tenants, occupying a gross floor area of 79,500 sq m. It held a groundbreaking ceremony on 11 November 2011, and moved on 8 December 2015. Block 71 Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, a decades-old flatted factory within Ayer Rajah Industrial Estate, was repurposed in 2010 by the Media Development Authority to be part of one-north. Externally, as the oldest building in one-north, it lacks architectural consistency with the rest of the development. Internally, however, it is one of Singapore's high-tech hubs, with dozens of digital startups and VC funds sited directly across the street from Fusionopolis and the one-north MRT. one-north Park One-north Park is a community park that is situated in the northern zone of one-north, near the Ministry of Education (MOE) at Buona Vista. Background One-north Park, totalling 16 hectares in land area, is a key component of the One-north Master Plan. It runs through the entire length of One-north, forming a continuous and linear green spine. The lush greenery and scenic landscape create an interesting contrast against the architecture of the buildings in the area. The entire One-north Park consists of 13 land parcels. The land parcel adjacent to Biopolis (P5) is one of the larger sections being developed and has been open to the public since October 2005. Today The park today serves as crucial relief space to the communities in the One-north area. It is also a meeting point for informal gatherings and events, thus promoting greater interaction and networking among the talents in One-north. The park also gives a unique visual identity to the area and acts as a green connector, linking the various developments in One-north. Rochester Park Launched in early 2006, Rochester Park, a part of one-north, is a heritage site located off North Buona Vista Road, featuring several double-storey black-and-white colonial bungalows, a symbol of Singapore’s colonial past. Wessex Estate JTC assumed ownership of Wessex Estate in late 2004. Wessex Estate is part of JTC’s plan to encourage people in the creative industries to live and work within one-north. Housing units in Wessex Estate consist of colonial walk-up apartments and semi-detached houses that have since been converted into work lofts, home offices and home studios. Wessex Village Square @ one-north was launched on 11 April 2008, providing a space for art exhibitions, music and dance performances as well as other arts events. History The estate has a long history with the 40 black-and-white bungalows built in the 1940s to accommodate the British military soldiers stationed at Pasir Panjang Military Complex and their families. After the British military pulled out of Singapore in late 1971, the bungalows were handed over to the Singapore government who rented them out mainly to non-Singaporeans. Development To provide cultural and recreational facilities for the people in one-north, Rochester Park has been revitalised into a dining and lifestyle retail hub. The old black-and-white colonial bungalows in Rochester Park have been conserved under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's conservation guidelines and are now leased to food and beverage and lifestyle retail tenants. Rochester Park 11 Rochester Park 11 has 11 bungalows turned into a dining and lifestyle retail hub consisting of restaurants, galleries, and spas. Nine units are taken up by restaurants and bars and a holistic healthcare centre. Restaurants * One Rochester * North Border Bar and Grill offers south-western American cuisine. * Da Paolo Bistro Bar’s serves Italian fare in a European setting. * Graze provides Western and Asian fare. * Min Jiang specializes in Chinese cuisine Rochester Park 20 Rochester Park 20 is still in the midst of development but has set aside 20 of the bungalows to become a serviced villa resort with retail facilities. Pixel Pixel, a 0.5-hectare building within one-north, is home to specialised schools supporting the infocommunications technology and digital media industries. DigiPen Institute of Technology, an American computer animation and programming school, was officially launched at Pixel on 9 February 2007. It is the first institution in Singapore to offer specialised degree-level courses in games development. Nepal Hill The plan to transform Nepal Hill into a regional centre for leadership training and a talent development hub was announced in early 2010. Known as the Leadership Initiatives, Networks, Knowledge (LINK), Nepal Hill was envisioned as a cluster dedicated to the research and development of leadership and human capital. The 16 pre-existing black-and-white bungalows at Nepal Hill were refurbished to accommodate new tenants. Nepal Hill’s first tenant is the Human Capital Leadership Institute, which moved into the premises in August 2010. Vista The 17-hectare Vista is the corporate and business-support cluster of one-north. It comprises offices, hotels, shops, entertainment outlets as well as convention and corporate retreat facilities, and serves as a social gathering place and transport hub for workers and residents of one-north. Vista consists of The Rochester, The Star, Metropolis and Rochester Park 20.65 The Rochester, launched in 2011, is a mixed-used development consisting of a condominium, the Park Avenue Suites @ Rochester hotel and Rochester Mall. The Star, also a mixed-use development, consists of two components – The Star Vista retail mall and The Star Performing Arts Centre. The latter, located above the shopping centre, houses a 5,000-seat auditorium. The Star Vista and The Star Performing Arts Centre opened in September and November 2012 respectively. Metropolis, which opened in November 2014, consists of two office blocks and retail outlets. Rochester Park 20 is a 4.3-hectare site consisting of 20 colonial black-and-white bungalows. The site is earmarked for dining and lifestyle uses, and is also part of one-north’s leadership and training cluster. Pedestrian footpath widening Pedestrians in one-north business park will soon have more of the streets for themselves. About 60m of the Fusionopolis Way road will be converted into a pedestrianised street on a trial basis from end-September to early November. The extra space will be used for community activities such as pop-up installations. Master planner and developer JTC Corporation will be spearheading these changes. JTC will also be widening 6km worth of footpaths, from the current 1.5m to either 2.5m or 3.5m. These comes as part of efforts to make the business park a car-lite one. JTC announced the plans on the Saturday (Aug 31), on the second day of the car-free weekend there. It said this is in line with its efforts to create green and sustainable business parks for the working community and residents from the surrounding housing estates. "By reducing the reliance on cars, and moving towards more sustainable modes of transportation, the community can enjoy a more liveable estate with less pollution and noise generated by cars," added JTC. References External links * One-north on the JTC Corporation website Category:Places in Singapore Category:Queenstown, Singapore